Pickling problem!!

[TangerineDreams]

Hi everyone!

I use white wine vinegar and table salt to pickle my silver in and it worked well at first but now my silver is starting to get these odd black lines or spots on it when put in the pickle. I tried using a new batch of vinegar and salt to see if that was the problem but I still get the same black marks! I can't work out what is causing this as it didn't happen the first time, somebody please help! I heat it in an aga, so think it gets hot enough. I put the pickle in a jam jar with the lid closed, maybe the lid should be open? I tried adding more salt but this didn't change anything. I can't be leaving the silver in there too long as it happens quite quickly, I even tried leaving it in there for ages to see if that got rid of it. The weird thing is if you then heat the silver again the black marks disappear so must be some kind of residue.

I'm sure I am doing something stupidly wrong and just haven't realised it!

Thanks
Antonia

[caroleallen]

I haven't a clue why that's happening Antonia. I'm sure some other clever people will come along with an answer. Why not use safety pickle or alum, which is what I use. I have a cheapo slow cooker for heating it in.

[MeadMoon]

What is the lid of the jar made from? Maybe the pickle is being contaminated by that.

I also use a cheapo slow cooker for warming my safety pickle in.

[GreenSnail]

This has been happening at work with our pickle pot (using safety pickle) and we cant work it out either. We too thought it was the lid of the slow cooker which we sawed off (blunting many blades in the process) but it hasn't made a difference. The strange thing is, it only happens to some pieces even if there are several things in at the same time, it'll only happen to one. And not the same one every time. The marks can be gotten rid of by heating and quenching in the pickle. I personally think it's the pickle itself getting too hot as it sometimes boils if it's not turned off every hour or so but others have different theory's.

[TangerineDreams]

This has been happening at work with our pickle pot (using safety pickle) and we cant work it out either. We too thought it was the lid of the slow cooker which we sawed off (blunting many blades in the process) but it hasn't made a difference. The strange thing is, it only happens to some pieces even if there are several things in at the same time, it'll only happen to one. And not the same one every time. The marks can be gotten rid of by heating and quenching in the pickle. I personally think it's the pickle itself getting too hot as it sometimes boils if it's not turned off every hour or so but others have different theory's.

That is exactly what happened with mine, it's weird! Only happens to some pieces even if there's lots in there. The only way I could get the marks to go was by heating it like you said. The marks just disappear as you heat it! Tried leaving the lid off too so fingers crossed it won't happen again.

[Goldsmith]

For the past 25 years my pickle pot has been a Pyrex casserole dish with a lid, heated on a gas ring, never had any problems with pickling using this.

James

[Patstone]

Well I use a jam jar in a bottle warmer and I have an old glass milk disc that stops milk from boiling over in a saucepan on the top, it heats in seconds and is plenty big enough for the things that I make.